NEW YORK, March 30 (Reuters) - Exxon Mobil has shut a crude oil pipeline after it ruptured near Mayflower, Arkansas, spilling thousands of barrels of oil, the company said.
The 20-inch Pegasus pipeline ruptured on late Friday afternoon and a few thousand barrels of oil had been observed, Exxon said in a statement. Local media reported the spill occurred in a subdivision.
Federal, state and local officials were on site and the company was preparing a response for a spill of more than 10,000 barrels.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency had categorized the rupture as a "major spill", Exxon said, and 22 homes were evacuated following the incident. Clean-up crews had recovered approximately 4,500 barrels of oil and water.
The pipeline carries crude oil from Patoka, Illinois, to the Gulf Coast.
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